ELDERLY residents were stuck in their York flats after a lift was out of action for a month, a furious couple claimed today.

Alice and Herbert Flear said the lift at Marjorie Waite Court a sheltered housing complex off Burton Stone Lane had now been fixed.

But Mrs Flear said that some residents were so worried it would break down again, leaving them trapped inside, that they would not use it.

"In this weather, it would be terrible to be trapped in there," she said.

"People are frightened of going in it. People have been trapped in there in the past they had to be rescued by the fire brigade."

Mrs Flear, who is 80 and lives on the first floor, said that when the lift had been out of action, she had had to carry washing and shopping upstairs, although a driver from Ebor Taxis had kindly helped her bring her shopping in.

She said there was a 91-year-old resident on a floor above who had been unable to get out when the lift was unavailable.

"She had to rely on her daughter."

Mrs Flear claimed that City Of York Council did not check the lifts frequently enough.

Her husband, 85, said he suffered from asthma, making it difficult for him to climb the stairs when the lift was out of action.

"It makes me very wheezy," he said.

"I have been to the hospital three times with it.

"The lift is okay one minute, and not working the next."

A council spokeswoman said: "We are investigating this matter because it is unacceptable that the lift was out of action for so long.

"We recognise the difficulties that this posed for residents and can only offer them our sincere apologies, and thank them for bearing with us.

"We did try to ensure that additional help and support was available to those who needed it, and are looking at how we can prevent this type of incident from happening again in the future."